Sān hào mén. Door Number Three

门 Mén. Sān lián huà.  Door. Triptych.

3 views of 3 doors in 3 positions in the Forbidden City on 3rd January. The Mén san lian hua – Door triptych – explores the deep duality and symbolism of both the number three and the door in Chinese culture, traditionally representative of transition, protection and the boundary between realms of existence.

In a courtyard in the Inner Palace of the Forbidden City a door is firmly closed, symbolising the personal boundary, the internal world, privacy and protection. Home to the imperial concubines, like the number three, the door represents both life and creation, but also separation, exclusion, secrecy and imprisonment.

 2025. Pen. Ink. Watercolour. On paper. 29 x 20 cm